Battle of Elizabethtown

The Battle of Elizabethtown was a skirmish fought between the Continental Army and the British Army near present-day Elizabeth, New Jersey in the winter of 1778 during the American Revolutionary War. The American campaign in the north had been marked by defeat and privation, and the American losses were grievous. At Elizabethtown, the inexperienced American Continentals were mowed down by British musket fire and cannonballs, and they cut and ran after the first volley. The skirmish preceded the nearby Battle of Monmouth, which occurred less than six months later.